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Softball Completes Sweep of Binghamton
April 6, 2008
VESTAL, N.Y. - The University of Maine softball team completed a three-game sweep of Binghamton this weekend with a 7-1 triumph in Sunday's series finale at East Gym Field in Vestal, N.Y. Maine improved to 5-29 overall, but more importantly moved to 5-1 in America East play. Jenna Balent got the start in the pitching circle for Maine and turned in a second terrific win in as many days. The junior hurler yielded one unearned run on just three hits with six strikeouts and only two walks in six innings of work. It followed her complete-game, five-inning performance on Saturday in Maine's 12-3 victory over the Bearcats. Whitney Spangler, Ashley Waters and Kristen Calvetti each stroked a pair of hits in the contest, including a home run from Waters. Terren Hall and Melinda Corssino also homered for Maine, which already has 24 home runs this season after hitting just 19 all of last season. Maine stands just eight home runs shy of tying the school record for most blasts in a season. The mark of 32 was set by the 2000 Black Bears. This year's Maine squad has 16 regular season contests remaining to achieve the feat. Waters and Hall each lead the team in homers with six apiece, while Hall leads the squad with 20 runs batted in.
Maine scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to build an early 4-0 advantage. The Black Bears put their first two runs up on the board with a Calvetti two-run single, bringing home Hall and Waters. Both players reached base earlier in the frame on a fielder's choice. Spangler and Waters each stroked RBI singles in the second frame to stake Maine to the four-run cushion.
Binghamton scratched out a run in the fourth, but Maine rallied with three runs in the fifth to cap the scoring. Waters and Hall led off the frame with back-to-back solo homers, while Corssino followed later in the inning with a solo blast of her own. For the weekend, Maine out-scored the Bearcats by a total of 27-4. In Sunday's contest, the Black Bears pounded out 10 hits to Binghamton's three. The Black Bears are now 8-2 in their last 10 America East games dating back to last season. Maine has scored at least seven runs in seven of its last eight conference wins, including all five victories this season. Maine returns to action Wednesday when the Black Bears travel to face Boston University in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Both teams will enter the contest with identical 5-1 conference records. |
